Second Chance
by sarroush
Summary: As Kyouka lays dying in the rubbles of Tartarus, thinking back to Erza Scarlet, her heart fills with regret. She can't help but wish for a second chance with the redhead. Instead of returning her to her original form, Zeref grants her plea in an unexpected way, his reasons being his own. Kyouka/Knightwalker. One-shot. May become multi-chapter in the future.


**A/N** : I've been meaning to write a Kyouka related fic for a while one, and an idea came to mind revolving around her so I decided to make it happen. If I decide to continue the fic and not leave it as a one shot, it will eventually have yuri.

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It hurt. It hurt so much. Was she on fire? It certainly felt that way. Why was she still alive? Had they not stabbed her, albeit too late? Face had activated, that much she remembered. As she had breathed out her last breath, she had smiled. The world should have been rid of magic, but at the cost of her life. So why? Why was it that she still lived? Could it have been called living though? She was clinging to her meager life. What was the point of returning to consciousness if she was just going to end up dead yet again? Was this her fate? A never ending cycle of torture? Well, she couldn't say she minded it too much. Still, she needed answers. Was she even going to survive through the pain and blood loss long enough to get answers? What had happened while she was unconscious? Had Fairy Tail won? Had...Erza won?

She didn't want to open her eyes yet, for fear of what she might see. Instead, she thought back on her most recent fight, her most recent loss. She could not fathom how Erza had defeated her. The mage's senses were all but gone, so how was it that she managed to hit her over and over again? That useless cat had claimed "Because she's Erza" as though that was a valid reason.

She'd tried to lecture her. Erza, that wretched human had tried to lecture one of the nine demon gates. "You chose death. You gave up on the path you walked with your friends," she'd claimed. What friends? Kyouka had never considered the other demons her friends. She had no friends. Not even Sayla. She simply considered the girl an apprentice of sorts who she happened to sleep with. And it wasn't as though she had a choice in the matter. She was created for the sole purpose of killing Zeref and returning to him. If giving up her life for Face to activate so that they could destroy Zeref was the only way, then that was the way she would take.

So why? Why was it that that stupid mage's words kept going around in her head? Why was it that she couldn't stop thinking of the redhead? Of the way she spoke, of the way she stood, of the way she fought, of the way she cried...She couldn't stop thinking of Erza. And if she could walk, if she could talk, all she wanted to do was see her again. She didn't know what she would do if faced with the requip mage, but it mattered not. All she wanted...was Erza.

What were these feelings? Were they feelings? As the base was filled with an eerie silence, death was the only thing echoing within its walls. She knew she'd failed. She'd lost to Erza, but... she didn't care. If it was the redhead...If it had been the redhead who had plunged the sword into her chest, she would have died peacefully. Was that it? Was that the reason she was still alive? Because she didn't agree or appreciate the fact that Minerva would have dealt the finishing blow? Now that was just stupid. Whatever she felt in regards to Erza Scarlet was stupid! She had tortured the woman, more than once! She had made her bleed, made her beg, made her cry. And yet...That's what she couldn't understand. Why? Why did she feel...sorry? Was that it? Was she feeling regret for what she'd done to the woman?

Erza Scarlet was so strong, so powerful and at the same time absolutely gorgeous. She had such beautiful skin hidden under that armor that Kyouka couldn't help but wonder why the woman didn't show it more often.

She let out a quiet 'tch'. What was she thinking about as her body was bleeding out? How gorgeous an enemy mage was? Preposterous. And yet, though she was dying, her body couldn't help but react at the thought of running her fingers over the redhead's chest.

She had to stop thinking of her. So she slowly opened her eyes, trying to look around. Unfortunately for her, she was too weak to do much. She was able to deduce that she was no longer in her etherious form. Of course not, she barely had enough strength to be alive at the moment. Her eyes did however land on the spot where she'd left Sayla. The younger demon should have been alive. Kyouka had taken what strength the girl had left, but she hadn't turned her into her original book form. So why? Why wasn't Sayla anywhere near her? Why couldn't she sense the younger woman?

"Because I returned her to her original state," the voice of her creator let out, as though reading her mind.

Kyouka's eyes widened exponentially. "Z-Zeref?" She whispered, sputtering a bit of blood. How was this possible? Was it actually Zeref? Why was he at Tartarus? Wasn't their whole mission to find him? To go back to him? To kill him? So why? Why the hell was he...Was that how it was? Were they just tools? Of course they were. But why? Why did it hurt so much? Wasn't her entire life dedicated to serving him? And yet, now, all she was filled with was spite. Maybe...Maybe, if she hadn't been a book, maybe if she was human...maybe she could have been friends with Erza. Maybe she could have even joined Fairy Tail...

At that she stopped. What the hell was she thinking about? Her near death experience apparently started giving her an array of strange thoughts.

"I'm surprised you survived, Kyouka. Didn't you make an organic link with face?" He knelt beside her, placing his hand on top of her heart. "It's time for you to return whence you came, child."

"W-wait," she moved her hand to grab his wrist, surprised that she was still conscious. Something was driving her. She didn't know what it was, and at that moment, it didn't matter. She needed another chance. She had to see her again. She had to talk to her. Maybe spar with her. She couldn't understand it. Why was she suddenly so drawn to her enemy? Or had it been like that since the moment she'd captured Erza? Was that how it was? Was that the reason she couldn't help but go after her over and over again? It hurt. Zeref's hand on her chest hurt. She didn't want him anywhere near her. All she could think of was the redhead. Every single one of their interactions went through her mind as she uttered, "Erza..."

"What about her?" Her father whispered, looking at his creation, as though already knowing the answer. Kyouka's eyes had something in them...a glint that he had once possessed. Mavis was the one who had brought that small bit of light in his heart, and he wondered if Kyouka thought of Erza in the same way. He couldn't understand why that would be the case, but he already knew that when Mard Geer had told her to make the organic link, she was hesitant. Kyouka did not want to die, and that already made her more human than any of the other demons.

She couldn't take it anymore. The pain had subsided but she felt numb. She wanted it all to end. She'd failed, and even if she hadn't, there was no way she'd have gotten anything more from Erza outside of being enemies. And yet, she couldn't help but want more. She wanted another chance. Another life. No. Even if she couldn't get any of those, all she truly wanted was one thing.

"I want to see her again," she let out very quietly as the last thing she saw before darkness engulfed her mind was her father's small smirk.

* * *

"It doesn't seem like it worked out," he laughed, watching his captain kick pebbles, grumbling.

"Keep laughing, Jellal. Last I checked, you don't even bother courting anyone," she spat out, walking past him in the forest.

"I've simply yet to find someone suitable enough to make my Queen," he smiled, walking next to her. "I really am sorry, Erza. I thought this one would work out," he placed a hand on her shoulder as she sighed.

He wasn't the only one. She had truly believed that after such long and arduous 7 years, the hatched would be buried with Fairy Tail. So why? Why didn't it work out with her and the girls she'd attempted to date? Well it was obvious her people skills always needed a bit of work, and though she knew from the start that she wouldn't be able to last a week with Lucy, she actually thought Wendy would work out. But it hadn't. And it had nothing to do with their past. No. Erza was just too much of a workaholic to give the girl the time of day, and Wendy had wanted to spend a significant amount of time with her. Time that Erza could not afford to give.

It couldn't be helped. It had been seven years since time stopped advancing in Edolas. Though chronologically 26, her body was still that of a 19 year old, and only recently had time started to flow once more. No one had figured out the cause, and various scholars, scientists and researchers had put an extensive amount of time and money on finding the reason. It wasn't a joke. Though Edolas had persevered, their entire world had been in a sort of stasis, as though they were immortal. But they weren't really. No children were being conceived but people were dying. Whatever it was, the kingdom had vowed to find the answer. Seven years had passed with no answer, time simply starting back up again.

Erza had spent a considerable amount of time within those years trying to do her own research to no avail. Though being broken up with had hurt her, she would always place Edolas above all else, including her none existent love life. She let out a deep sigh, as she shook her hand towards her King, indicating letting him know that she wished to be left alone. Obliging, he let her be as he made his way back to the palace.

Erza was in pain. It wasn't anything physical. No. A part of her had really enjoyed her time with Wendy, and she'd made the mistake of having expectations. She'd hoped that they would work out and that was why she ached at that moment. Wendy wanted out and Erza had respected that, but that didn't make it any less painful.

Walking towards her favorite spot in the forest, she couldn't help but let her mind wonder off to her counterpart, wondering how the other woman was doing. Was her love life better? Possibly. But it didn't really matter. She didn't doubt that Scarlet had issues with her people skills either. Shaking her head, she smirked, remembering a key line that had helped her through the years, "We're both Erza after all." It was a simple ridiculous line, because they weren't the same person. But every time Knightwalker was faced with a hard decision, she thought back on that statement. Would Scarlet have done the same thing? Her mind would ask her. She would and that was why Erza knew what she was doing was right.

As she made her way to the small lake hidden with the trees, she frowned. There was something, or someone floating in the lake. Moving up towards them, she extended her spear, pierced through the very minimal amount of clothing on them and lifted them up, throwing them on dry land, on their back.

Her frown intensified as she inspected the body. It was clearly a woman...and she had a weird set of hands and feet. The former were claws while the latter were...birdlike. But still, the woman was gorgeous to say the least. Erza shook her head. That didn't matter. Who was she? Why hadn't the knight sensed her? How had she ended up in the water? Why was she in the water?

The strange woman suddenly started coughing, letting out a bit of water from her lungs as she opened her eyes very slowly.

"Er...za?" She uttered very quietly, as though near death. Pain having returned to her body, but the hole in her chest where Minerva had pierced, gone.

Raising an eyebrow, a hand on her waist, the other pointing her spear to the woman on the ground who was looking up at her, she spoke with an underlying growl, "And who the hell are you?"

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 **A/N:** Reviews and comments are very much appreciated so I know if I should continue this or just leave it as is! Thanks for reading!


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